Dave Blezow and Steve Serby Talking about Abe!!

[Savage69]

April 10, 2005 -- Rusher roulette

Post football prognosticator Dave Blezow and columnist Steve Serby slug it out whether the Jets should trade enigmatic sackmaster John Abraham.

Dave Blezow: You can make quite a highlight reel out of John Abraham's 43 sacks, many of them crunching blindsiders that ended drives, forced fumbles and helped the Jets win games. But a highlight reel wasn't going to chase down Ben Roethlisberger in the playoffs. The Jets needed Abraham. He wasn't there. Like he hasn't been there for 23 of a potential 80 regular-season games and three of five playoff games. Serby's going to tell you lots of great things about Abraham. None of them matters if he's not on the field. It may be too late for the Jets to get anywhere close to equal value for Mr. Unreliable. But if they can score a No. 1 and a mid-rounder from, say, Dallas, I'll drive him to LaGuardia.

Steve Serby: I can make quite a highlight reel out of John Abraham's 43 sacks, many of them crunching blindsiders that ended drives, forced fumbles and helped the Jets win games. I recognize that No. 94 has frustrated Jet fans by missing big games. But if Giant fans voted whether to trade Phil Simms before 1984, it would have been a landslide. Abraham is a premier pass rusher in the prime of his career, case closed.

Blezow: I guess I have a problem with the designation of Abe as a premier pass rusher. He's never averaged a sack a game in any season, and in his two 16-game seasons, he had 13 in 2001 and 10 in 2002. He's never been a high-teens sacker. Brett Favre would need to take a lot of dives to help this guy break Michael Strahan's single-season record of 221/2.

Serby: The Predator - that's his nickname, Dave - doesn't have to lead the league in sacks, although one day he will. I refer you to what former Bears coach Mike Ditka said when asked why he drafted Refrigerator Perry in the first round: "Because I didn't want to play against him." One of these years, the Predator will play all 16 games, and beyond. And when he does, he will challenge Strahan's record, and he won't need the Favre Flop to break it. It's much too easy for outsiders to label Abraham as the anti-LT; but for anyone who suggests that he didn't want to help his team in the 2004 playoffs because he was thinking about his contract is an irresponsible cheapshot artist who goes with the pack. Abraham sought a second opinion for his ravaged knee - Dr. James Andrews - and was told fuhgedabouddit!

Blezow: Stevie, I'm not saying he jaked it when he could've played. A charge like that could get a guy stuffed into a locker. But Abraham also will never be confused with Jack Youngblood, who played in the Super Bowl with a broken leg, or Ronnie Lott, who cut off part of his pinky so he could stay in the lineup. Stipulating that his injuries are legit only bolsters my argument that the Jets shouldn't invest a minimum of $7 million per year in salary-cap room way into the future on a guy who hasn't proven he can stay on the field. Not when they were a kick away from winning two road playoff games without him.

Serby: If the Jets don't pay him, somebody else will, trust me. There isn't a left tackle in football who would want to line up opposite the Predator. Or a right tackle. You absolutely cannot afford to give up on a guy from a small town in South Carolina who needed time to adapt to the trappings of the Big Apple. On a guy who wants to play in New York. On a guy who is compared by Herm Edwards to Derrick Thomas. On a guy who is the perfect bookend for Shaun Ellis. Who has learned how to play the run, too. Yeah, sure - get rid of Abraham, and try to get to a Super Bowl with Bryan Thomas. Is that another one of your Locks of the Week, Dave?

[TomShane]

Typical Serby garbage. Alot of words saying absolutely nothing. Garbage journalism. In the paper they shoved this piece of crap all the way into the Classifieds section. Small wonder.

[jetgreen13]

as much as abraham has pi$$ed me off with his late season/playoff no shows, he should be kept. he's an animal, who can wreak an opposing offense. their are'nt enough guys like that in football, to just give him away. marvin jones started his jet career with far more serious injuries than abe's ever gone through. he was able to shake the injury bug. i believe abraham will as well. at least i hope so. cause unless team bradway/edwards get blown away, abe will get his huge contract from the jets. sooner, or later.

[Savage69]

as much as abraham has pi$$ed me off with his late season/playoff no shows, he should be kept. he's an animal, who can wreak an opposing offense. their are'nt enough guys like that in football, to just give him away. marvin jones started his jet career with far more serious injuries than abe's ever gone through. he was able to shake the injury bug. i believe abraham will as well. at least i hope so. cause unless team bradway/edwards get blown away, abe will get his huge contract from the jets. sooner, or later.

I agree 13 and come to think of it Chad is starting

to look like a accident waiting to happen as well!

[YJF]

Both writers did a bad job selling their sides. Serby and Blezow are not exactly lawyer material.

I've seen hundreds of arguments on these message boards that were better than that. Atleast they didn't put any smilie faces at the end of their sentences.

Abraham's issue isn't his heart. It's his durability. I think he plays very hard and he works very hard. Used to party very hard early in his career. That's how get the "flu" in Oakland in the playoffs back in 2001.

There's no question how valuable Abraham is.That can't even be argued.

[Farm Implement]

"One more snap and I'm sittin' out!"

[Farm Implement]

John appears to be a bit late for this sack attempt!